Blue Devil girls drop a super-close tennis semifinal
After slipping past Oak Ridge, 5-4, in Monday’s Sac-Joaquin Section quarterfinal tennis contest, the Davis High girls knew they would need to do better in the three-set matches to keep advancing.
On Wednesday in Stockton, the Blue Devils won two of three matches that went the distance, but needed all three as St. Mary’s edged the locals 5-4 in a section semifinal.
While DHS needed just a little bit more in an extremely tight match, coach Sally Hosley said the Devils gave it their all.
“It was bittersweet for all,” Hosley said after her squad was eliminated by the Rams in the semis for the second straight season. “Before the match, we talked about the importance of leaving everything on the court. I wanted to make sure that they finished this match knowing that they put it all out there, regardless if it was a win or not. The girls did just that.”
Davis was in the game all the way through those last few moments. With just three matches left on the court, the Blue Devils needed three victories to earn a spot in the section final. First, freshman Kailynn Yang finished off her 6-3, 6-2 win at No. 5 singles, leaving No. 6 player Ceci Cajandig and senior No. 2 Anna Klavins on the court.
Cajandig eventually used her athletic ability to outlast Mackenzie Basso, 6-4, 6-7 (7-4), (7-5) but despite competing through the end, Klavins fell, 6-7 (7-2), 6-3, 6-2, in a match that lasted nearly three hours.
“Anna played so tough and fought hard until the last point,” Hosley said. “Ceci is such an amazing athlete; she chases down balls most players wouldn’t even attempt. She has fast wheels and a strong desire to win.”
Two of DHS’ three doubles teams were able to join Cajandig in quenching their thirst to win, as Megan Williams/Hanna Jolkovsky played one of their best matches of the season in a 6-2, 6-0 victory at No. 1. Cat Archer and Valerie Hurst used smart doubles play to earn their 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 triumph at No. 3.
But four losses at the top of the singles lineup were too much for the Blue Devils to overcome.
“We almost had it in our hands, but we just couldn’t close,” Hosley said. “Each match was played hard and I can honestly say that I believe they all tried their personal bests. ”
The match marked the final appearance for seniors Caron Miller, Klavins, Williams and Jolkovsky.
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Posted by Enterprise staff
on Nov 9 2011.
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